Told by the Death's Head: A Romantic Tale by Mór Jókai

  CHAPTER I.

  THE MAGIC THALER.

  The most convincing proof that everything occurred as I related it,said the prisoner, continuing his confession the next day, was thethaler I found in my pocket, when I came to my senses in the peat bognear the "_kempenei_"--the thaler my blood-comrade gave me in exchangefor Lilith. I remembered what I had heard the witches say about thecommandant's visit to the inn-keeper and though I had sufferedterribly because I had tried once to perform a good deed at his house,I decided to warn him of the danger which threatened him that night.

  It was very late in the evening when I drew near the inn; but lightstill gleamed from the windows, and sounds of merriment came from theopen door.

  The inn-keeper, who was celebrating his marriage with his fifth wife,recognized me at once. He was not in the least rejoiced to see meagain; quite the contrary:

  "See!" he called to his friends inside the house, "this is the fellowI told you about--the one who predicted what would happen to theAntwerp caravan. Every word he said came true! He shall not come intomy house again. I dare say," he added, speaking to me from thedoor-way, "I dare say you have another witch-story to tell? Don't youdare to utter one word of your evil prophecies, you bird of evilomen!"

  The entire company seized cudgels and chairs and threatened to brainme if I opened my lips.

  "Just keep your temper, good people," I returned coolly, "I don'tintend to tell you what would be of great benefit to you--yourtreatment of me is so unfriendly, I shall not say one word--I wantnothing from you but some bread and cheese, and a mug of beer: and abundle of straw in a corner where I may pass the night."

  "Have you money to pay for all this?" demanded the inn-keeper.

  "Certainly I have;" and I handed him my thaler.

  "Ho-ho, fellow, this is a counterfeit," he sneered, tossing the cointo the ceiling and letting it fall on the stone table.

  The clear ringing sound was unmistakable--the thaler was genuine.Angered by the insolence of the inn-keeper, I said in a tone, themeaning of which he could not mistake:

  "Look here, beer-seller; I want you to understand that _I_ am not acirculator of counterfeit money!"

  "What!" he roared in a fury; "do you dare to insinuate that _I_circulate counterfeit money? For your impudence I shall keep thisthaler, and have it tested in the city tomorrow; and that you may notrun away in the meantime, I shall pen you in my hen-coop."

  The entire company helped him to thrust me into the coop, which was sosmall I could neither stand upright nor lie down in it.

  And there I crouched, hungry and thirsty as I had come from thewitch-wedding.

  Suddenly the early morning quiet was broken by a fanfare in front ofthe inn. I heard horses' hoofs stamping the earth; loud shouts andcurses; and the clank of weapons--the commandant of Bilsen had arrivedwith his troops.

  In a trice the doors were broken open; the startled wedding guestscould neither escape nor defend themselves. The soldiers cut down allthat came in their way: men, women, old and young. From my hen-coop Iwitnessed the slaughter, which I cannot describe, for I grow faintwith horror if I but think of it.

  Not even a dog was left alive about the inn. When the work of butcherywas completed one of the soldiers took it into his head to peep intothe hen-coop. He saw me, broke the lock with his hatchet, and draggedme out by the hair.

  "Don't kill me, comrade," I begged, "I am only a poor soldier likeyourself. The inn people took all my money, and penned me in thecoop--you can see for yourself that I am not one of them, but afoot-sore wanderer."

  "Did they take all your money?" asked the trooper.

  "I had only a thaler; the inn-keeper said it was counterfeit, and keptit."

  "Let's see if you're telling the truth," said the fellow, beginning tosearch about my clothes.

  "Ha! What's this?" he exclaimed suddenly, holding up the thaler he hadfound in one of my pockets. "I thought you were lying, you rascal," headded, giving me a blow with his fist, and thrusting my thaler intohis pocket.

  At that moment another trooper approached, and said something to thefirst, about not making 'way with me--that the French recruitingofficers would give ten thalers for such a sturdy chap. Then he tooinquired if I had any money.

  I swore I had none; but he was as incredulous as his comrade, and alsosearched my pockets. In one of them he found the thaler which hadreturned to my possession; and he too gave me a blow for telling him alie.

  Then came a third trooper with the same inquiry: "Have you money?"

  I had not yet got used to having the thaler return to me, so I said:

  "No, my friend, I haven't another penny"--and he didn't find anythingin my pockets; but when, at his command, I drew off my boots, thethaler fell out of one of them.

  From this trooper also I received a vigorous blow for lying. When thefourth, fifth, and sixth troopers followed with the same demand formoney, I replied:

  "Yes, friend, I think I have a thaler somewhere about my clothes--justsearch me and maybe you'll find it."

  And every one of them found the thaler--once it was found tucked underthe collar of my coat; another time in the lining; a third time in myneck-ruff.

  My fun came afterward, when the troopers discovered they were minusthe thaler they had taken from me. They accused one another ofstealing, which led to a scuffle and blows.

  I was sold for ten thalers to the Frenchmen, who, when they strippedme to put me into uniform, also searched my clothes. They foundnothing; but when they were shearing my hair the thaler suddenlydropped to the floor.

  The sergeant pounced on it, exclaiming:

  "A thaler profit, comrades!--we'll have a drink at once!"

  Beer was ordered from the inn, in which they were quartered; and whilethey were drinking, the sergeant turned to me and said:

  "Are you thirsty lad? You are? Very well, then, go into the yard, liftyour face to the clouds, and open your mouth wide--it's rainingheavily! When you have quenched your thirst from the clouds, standguard at the gate."

  I had to obey, and stand guard; but I did not quench my thirst withrain water.

  After a while I heard loud voices in the bar-room. The inn-keeper'swife was accusing the soldiers of stealing the thaler given to her bythe sergeant for the beer. She said it had been taken from the drawer,while she was attending to her work in the kitchen.

  "Which of you fellows stole the thaler?" angrily demanded thesergeant.

  No one answered; whereupon the sergeant proceeded to flog the men, oneafter the other, with a bunch of hazel-switches. But the thaler wasnot found.

  Then the five soldiers seized the sergeant, and paid back what he hadloaned them; as each had received six blows, the number delivered tohim in payment amounted to thirty.

  "Fine discipline!" I said to myself. "Fine discipline, where thesergeant flogs his men, and the men flog the sergeant in turn! It's afine service I've got into, I must say."

  I thrust my hands into the pockets of my wide trunk-hose, and what doyou suppose I found in one of them? The dangerous thaler! It had notoccurred to the Frenchmen to search me!

  "I don't see how such a thing could happen," in a puzzled tone,observed the prince.

  "There is no mystery about it," returned the chair. "The coin was a'breeding-thaler'--as it is called. A breeding-thaler will return tothe pocket of its owner, no matter how often he may spend it. If,however, he bestows it as a gift on any one, it will not return tohim; but to the person to whom he has given it."

  "Ah, had I only known that sooner!" in a tone of deep regret, murmuredthe delinquent.